Video: Why historical harms should shape Covid-19 vaccine distribution | AskOBI

Denise Herd, the associate director of the Othering & Belonging Institute, intervenes in the conversation surrounding vaccine distribution.

Video: Privilege Revealed: How Invisible Preference Undermines America

On April 7, during a livestream in our #AskOBI​ series, we heard from leading scholars Stephanie M. Wildman and Margalynne Armstrong, authors of the new edition of “Privilege Revealed,” in conversation with OBI Director john a. powell.

Video: Berkeley Conversation: Trumpism and its Discontents

Influential UC Berkeley scholars dive into a deep and crucial examination of the political conditions that led to the rise of Donald Trump and the consequences of his presidency on US society and the world.

Video: Infecting the COVID-19 Response and Corrupting Democracy

How has the far-right used the pandemic to exacerbate racial othering and undermine democracy? What strategies can racial justice organizers use to build power and counter right-wing narratives? A panel of experts weighs in.

Video: MENA and US Perspectives on Racialization

This event was organized by the Middle East and North African Studies Program at Northwestern University as part of its MENA Conversations series.

Video: Equal Protection’s Grand Promise and Betrayals

Dr. powell was among four panelists in UNC School of Law’s Center for Civil Rights symposium speaking on equal protection jurisprudence from Reconstruction, Brown v. Board of Education, and beyond.

Video: Creating the Conditions for Belonging and Breathing in a Toxic Environment

In this “Beyond the Great Unraveling: Weaving the World Anew" conference, john a. powell delved deeply into the complexities of civil rights and liberties, structural racism, poverty, housing, racial and ethnic identity, inclusivity, spirituality and social justice, as well as the needs of citizens in a democratic society.

Video: Storming the Capitol: Trumpism's last Stand? | #AskOBI

On Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 OBI Director john a. powell and law professor Ian Haney Lopez discussed the chaos in Washington, D.C. when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building demanding Congress halt the certification of the presidential election results.

Video: The Economics of Belonging

On December 10, OBI hosted the third Toward Belonging digital dialogue series consisting of a discussion about the possibilities and potential of an economics based on belonging.

Video: The Surveillance State, Social Safety, and Building Power

While technology has made it easier to connect with faraway family and friends and gain access to the world’s libraries of information, it has also led to a stark loss of privacy through widespread data collection and surveillance by both government agencies and for-profit companies.

Anti-Black Racism in the Arab Region

This panel was organized by the Arab American Cultural Center on November 24, 2020.

Video: Why the Electoral College poses a threat to democracy | #AskOBI

The Othering & Belonging Institute's political participation analyst Josh Clark explains the undemocratic nature of the Electoral College. Despite Joe Biden getting over five million votes more than Donald Trump, the election in theory could have...

Video: The future of freedom: Reparations after 400 years

On November 18, 2020, a distinguished panel of scholars consider what the question of reparations means for this freedom’s fulfillment and what kind of future could follow for African-Americans beyond 400.

Video: How accurate are exit polls in 2020? | #AskiOBI

Josh Clark, our institute's Political Participation Analyst, explains the problems with the narratives coming out of the 2020 elections about how certain demographic groups voted. Transcript: Josh Clark : I’ve been seeing a lot of hot takes already...

Video: Live Q&A with john a. powell about the 2020 elections | #AskOBI

On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, john a powell discusses the outcomes of the 2020 elections in a live Q&A with OBI. This was the first event in our new #AskOBI series featuring reactions from institute staff and faculty on trending topics.

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An Archive of past issues of our bi-weekly newsletter.
Apr
24

Cathartic Writing, Collectivity, and Care Among Undocumented Mexican Immigrants

Register here This talk draws from an ethnography of a little-known therapeutic community of undocumented Mexican immigrants living in the United States. The foundation of this community is a grueling three-day healing ritual called an experience. This talk describes one...

Video: How to make sense of this moment

On Monday, March 24, 2025 OBI Director john a. powell and researchers tried to contextualize the current moment our world is experiencing in a 90-minute virtual conversation. They looked at what is driving the rise of authoritarianism across the...